110 YEARS OF YOUTH THROUGH YOGA Through YOGA Written by CHARLES HENRY ARNOLD Britain’s Oldest Man - Born 11th July, 1829 - Died in 1949

I have had this booklet for many years, but have only just scanned it because its copyright has now ended so I can show it to you. It is about yoga, but not the type the West now calls yoga that are simply postures, but a completly different form. For in physical yoga the postures are simple step two in a five stage process.

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PREFACE

WHAT IS YOUTH?

YOUTH REPRESENTS A STATE OF UNIMPAIRED

HEALTH.

WHAT IS YOGA?

YOGA IS AN ANCIENT INDIAN PRACTICE OF UTILISING THE PURE ESSENCE OF THE AIR WE BREATHE, KNOWN AS THE “PRANA”.

“PRANA” IS THE SOURCE OF ALL VITALITY UPON WHICH WE BASE OUR YOUTHFULNESS.

BY THE PRACTICE OF YOGA THE “PRANA” CAN

BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL TO PRODUCE THE

GREATEST BENEFITS — PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY

AND SPIRITUALLY, AND TO RELIEVE PAIN AND DIS

COMFORT.

YOGA IN MANY WAYS IS THE POWER OF THOUGHT.

This “thought power” is directed by CONCENTRA TION, and it naturally follows that before you can intelligently direct THOUGHT POWER you must learn HOW TO CONCENTRATE.

The best time for concentration is first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Spend at least 15 minutes, twice a day, and make it a regular practice.

Please do not do it only when you feel like it and miss two or three days at a time, and think you can make up for lost time by ‘doing double one day and a little the next. You must be persistent and consistent. You will find the continued effort will produce the quickest and best results.

The more perfect you become at concentrating the sooner the definite results begin to manifest themselves, and once you find you are getting results, no matter how slight they may ‘be at the beginning, then you will find yourself making rapid progress. You will have proved to your own satisfaction that you now have the knowledge and power to control and this will enable you to make your hopes, aims and ambitions become realities.

FOREWORD

ABOUT MYSELF ANI) HOW I CAME TO BE

INTRODUCED TO YOGA.

No doubt you have recently read in your Daily Press, that I have attained the wonderful old age of ONE HUNDRED and TEN YEARS. I was born on July 11th and baptised November 10th, in the year of our Lord, 1829.

You will find the authentic records in the Register of the Church of Saint George, Bloomsberry, London. These have been confirmed by the authorities of the Westminster Hospital, London, who ‘have taken great interest in my general health, particularly my eyesight which started to fail me in my 109th year.

I have no doubt many people when they read that I am 110 years old, will conjure up in their mind’s eye a wizened old man, either being wheeled about in a bath chair, or bed ridden, dependent upon any kind soul to help me about.

Let me at once put you right on these points. I certainly am not decrepit and helpless—and can boast I am quite a long way from any such deplorable condition. I am still very active; my brain still has the quality of being able to function quite normally; my general health is excellent. I admit my eyes trouble me slightly, but with the aid of glasses which I only started wearing recently I can still do my own writing and get about unaided. I still enjoy my food and I am not a total abstainer.

My memory can take me back to the time when I was five years old. I have seen many changes during more than a century of the march of time, and during my calling as a journalist I have managed to meet many great people and seen unique sights in many parts of the world. My earliest vivid memory takes me back to the burning of the Houses of Parliament in London, also the ascension of Queen Victoria to the throne. I have conversed with the great Charles Dickens and the equally great Disraeli. I can remember the distressing illness of the Prince of (Wales (afterwards King Edward VII) and the great rejoicing of the populace of London when he recovered. There are hundred’s of other incidents in my life which to the ordinary person may seem outstanding, ‘but to myself just seem like simple events. But the episode in my life which I can never forget is the one that was the means of my introduction to YOGA.

I will give you briefly the outline of the remarkable manner in which I made the acquaintance of the venerable teacher of the Yoga philosophy, and to which meeting I attribute my longevity.

It happened in India. I was making a visit to the Holy City of Benares in’ the year 1852, during a time when the natives were pouring into the town in their thousands to celebrate one of the annual feasts. I happened to be in the vicinity of a skirmish between some Hindus and Moslems, and seeing a mob beating a poor old man ‘unmercifully’, I interfered. As I was a white man my commands were obeyed and they left him alone, ‘but not before he had suffered severely and was nearly dying.

I got him removed from the crowd and helped to wash and bind some of his cuts and wounds.

This old man happened to be a Great Guru” (the highest grade of Yogi), whose name was Swami Ghakrananda.

In return for being instrumental in saving this man’s life, he offered me what he considered to be the greatest blessing one mortal can bestow upon another—The PHILOSOPHY of YOGA. He became my teacher, and at that time he was 0NE HUNDRED and FORTY-SEVEN YEARS OLD.

You can now understand why I say I date my real life from the day I came in contact with that wonderful ‘master of the YOGA Cult. It is a system of philosophy combined with a series of ‘bodily, mental and spiritual exercises that have been practised in India for thousands of years.

Should take a period of eight weeks to complete.

Lesson 1. TO PUT BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT IN TUNE WITH THE ETHER.

Lesson 2. TO INCREASE MUSCULAR ENERGY AND IMPART BODILY VIGOUR.

Lesson 3. TO INCREASE RHYTHM AND HARMONY OF BODY AND MIND.

Lesson 4. SELF CONTROL AND POWER THROUGH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL RELAXATION.

Lesson 5. TO REDUCE OBESITY AND PROMOTE LITHESOMENESS OF FIGURE.

Lesson 6. TO PROMOTE BEAUTY OF TONE IN SPEAK?ING AND SINGING VOICE.

Lesson 7. TO CHARGE THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WITH A

SPECIAL SUPPLY OF “PRANA”, ENABLING

IT TO MEET EXTRA CALLS ON PHYSICAL

AND MENTAL ENERGY.

Lesson 8. POWER THOUGH RELAXATION.

LESSON 1 - FIRST WEEK

TO PUT BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT IN TUNE

WITH THE ETHER

On retiring, remove pillow and lie flat on your back;

place your hands lightly on the pit of your stomach, close your mouth and through the nostrils inhale a slow, silent, deep breath.

Concentrate upon the idea that this breath is passing through the bones of your knees, the bones of the legs and arms, and thence draw it, in imagination, upward until it fills every part of the chest and lungs. Hold the breath there for five seconds, then open your mouth and exhale forcibly.

Inhale another ‘breath as before, hold it for five seconds and exhale. While holding the breath affirm to yourself in thought, “Through all my organs I am drawing vitality from the PRANA.” (This is the life substance of the ether that pervades this universe.)

The exercise as given will attune your entire system to the infinite potency of the vital force that governs all existence, and prepare you for further exercises that will expel all feeling of uneasiness, discomfort, and any pain you may be suffering in whatever part of your body.

Repeat this exercise 12 times. Then relax your limbs until they feel limp, and avoid all rigidity of the muscles.

Choose your easiest mode of lying clown, close your eyes and repeat ‘mentally to yourself, “Oh, I am so sleepy, so very sleepy; I can’t keep awake any longer.” Repeat this affirmation and you will fall asleep and enjoy a splendid rest.

On waking in the morning, again lie flat on your back without a pillow. Place your hands behind the small of your back and clasp them, raise your legs and feet and your entire trunk two inches above the bed, and inhale a quiet, long breath through your nostrils. Draw the breath up to the chest and retain it for 15 seconds. Then open your mouth and, expel the breath forcibly while you allow yourself to sink down limp and loosely on the bed.

Repeat this exercise 12 times. At first you will tied it rather difficult, but persist and it will come easily. You will feel all through your ‘body a sensation as of electricity passing through it; a tingling, glowing feeling. This shows that the influx of PRANA is benefiting you and is vitalising your system as nothing else can.

At the end of a week of these morning and night exercises you will be surprised at the effect on your features and on your general expression. Your eyes will ‘be bright and sparkling, your cheeks’ will have a healthy, rosy hue, your lips will be red, and, above all, you will go through your day’s duties or pleasures with a wonderful feeling of well-being,

such as no drug or cocktail could impart.

These will be your exercises for the first week, BUT, 4 bear in mind that while you are doing them you must CON

CENTRATE on HEALTH, VIGOUR and HAPPINESS. Think to yourself, “I am receiving the vital essence of the

all-pervading PRANA; I am strong; I am vigorous; my youthfulness is returning; I AM IN TUNE WITH THE INFINITE.”

You will be surprised at the splendid results of the quiet affirmations. They are the most perfect form of auto suggestion and they cannot fall.

There is, however, one stipulation. YOU MUST FEEL COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN THE EFFICACY OF YOUR AFFIRMATIONS. You must not only say to yourself, “I am strong, I am radiantly ‘healthy, my youthfulness is returning,” BUT YOU MUST FEEL SURE OF IT, and as surely it will all come to pass, and you will be a new being.

BANISH ALL DOUBT FROM YOUR MIND.

LESSON 2 - SECOND WEEK

THIS LESSON IS TO INCREASE THE MUSCULAR

ENERGY AND IMPART BODILY VIGOUR.

You must always bear in mind that YOGA is spiritual mental and physical. But do not expect ‘big muscles’ when the physical part is practised.

After you have gone through the exercises as given in Part 1, begin the second week’s exercises (in addition) in the morning on rising.

First Position. Stand erect, ‘shoulders thrown back, arms hanging limp. Through the nostrils, inhale a long, deep breath. (Inhale easily; not by spurts.)

Send the breath through every part of the trunk. Hold it for fifteen seconds and, while doing so, repeat ten times to yourself easily, quietly, but with determination, “I am imbibing the God-given PRANA, the vital essence of which the Universe is composed and it is making me fit and radiantly ‘healthy, vigorous, youthful and attractive. Tarn health, I am strength, I am youth. Nothing can daunt me, I am master of myself, and I can banish all pain, all doubt and all worry.”

Now take a good, strong walking stick or club.

Clench the top of the stick firmly in your hand and lean on it. While you are doing so, bring pressure to bear on it from the wrist downwards with a slightly vibratory movement.

While pressing on the stick bend the head and the upper part of the body slightly forward and repeat to your self the affirmations as already (described.

Then return to the original erect posture of the ‘body and again assume the stick-clenching attitude.

Repeat this exercise ten times.

It will tune up the entire muscular system and impart a feeling of splendid self-reliance and vigour.

Always remember—You must banish all doubts about the exercises doing you good.

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